Dearest Gigi:
I am glad you are only 7 years old and missed the majority of the ugliness of this campaign season. I am thankful, that I am writing to you here rather then explaining to you now. But I know that will not always be the case. In fact, I believe things will get worse and your simplistic life will awaken to the darkness and complications of reality. For now I write to you so you know my thoughts are on you and your brothers. I pray you will find hope and joy in God and not a person. People are fallible and will disappoint you, but God will never disappoint. His purpose is to give you hope and future and not to harm you. (Jer 29:11)
So there was a presidential election last week and I am disappointed. I say that because I am. The choices in the two major parties were both complicated and crooked. Both harmful and ugly. The difference is one had hidden sin and the other outward hate.
One candidate appeared to say all the right things, she appeared decent and honorable and trustworthy, but stories of how she lied and cheated and bullied surrounded her. She was called a traitor and cheater and yet she promised only good for the country. She preached tolerance, acceptance and hope, and yet I wondered how much was true. She worked for the government for 30 years, working at multiple levels of public service, yet there were stories how she used her positions to gain more wealth and power.
The other candidate was worse. He was loud and mean and outwardly hateful. He preached open hate. He made fun the disabled. He objectified and belittled women. He did not even try to appear honorable, but was proud of his ugliness, ostracizing entire classes of people, religions and genders. I disliked everything about him. A man of multiple wives and multiple mistresses, and unashamed.
I disliked both if them, yet I still voted. I voted for the best person running for president. Although both dislikable, I really felt that more voters like me would vote for hope rather than outward ugliness. That is how I voted. I would rather have hidden sin the outward evil. That is how I saw them. I know that is not very bright either.
Throughout the campaign I was disappointed in the hate that would spew from each party. I was disappointed at those that would ridicule and insult those that supported opposing parties, and I was disappointed by those that would make excuses for the failings of their candidate. I was disappointed how others would follow based solely on the party's views and not the candidates flaws, as if the views of the party over-shadowed all the candidate's failing. There was/is no guarantee of their future decisions. I wanted good men and women to stand up and say No, that is not right. But that did not happen, and when it did, it did not last for long.
On election night, the votes were tallied and I was disappointed again. In my naivety, I hoped that voters would choose that which was honorable, or at least appeared outwardly honorable. But they did not, and an ugly harsh, mean, rude man was elected. Then riots in the street. More hate spread at the aftermath, and more hope lost. I saw many who put their hope is a person completely devastated. Anger, sorrow, depression followed. There is no worse feeling than disappointment.
Dear Gigi do not put your hope this world. Do not put your hope in people. We live in a fallen world with fallen people. Your hope should firmly stand on God and God's word. God's word, the Bible recounts that this world is not our home, it is but only a grain of sand that is the ocean of heaven and a redeemed world.
All wrong will be made right, all tears will be wiped away and our God will take us home.
In the meantime, do not wallow in disappointment. In the meantime, get up and keep moving. Make your part of the world better, volunteer, love anyway and for goodness sake stand up for what you believe it. If it is wrong, say it is wrong! And if its right and true and follows God word, then stand for that too, even if its unpopular. Two things will last forever, People and Gods word.
Love God and Love others.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
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